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2017 Lincoln Continental spied inside and out

Lincoln certainly made us stand up and take notice when it unveiled the Continental concept at the New York Auto Show this past March. Showcars, however, are only worth so much if they never reach production. But as these latest spy shots indicate, Ford's luxury division is hard at work taking the new Conti from show floor to showroom. The team from Dearborn has clearly gone to great lengths to disguise this prototype, wrapping it in a new type of camouflage with trompe l'oeil bulbous-looking shapes to keep us from seeing just how close the production version will keep to (or how far it may stray from) the concept's design. Our spy photographers did, however, manage to snap some shots of the inside through the side glass, and though it's still evidently some ways off from reaching production, some key details give us an idea of what to expect. Look closely and you can make out the buttons for the transmission running down the side of the infotainment screen, just like on other new Lincolns. The chromework appears to have been toned down some from the blinged-out dashboard of the showcar, but it may be too early to say how much shine there will be to the production model. The overall design of the center console looks pretty darn close to the version we saw in New York, though. The Continental is expected to replace the MKS, as Lincoln moves away from alphabetical nomenclature back towards actual nameplates. Assembly is slated to be undertaken in Flat Rock, MI. There are a great many more details yet to be uncovered, but as far as early indications go, it looks like Lincoln is well on its way to making its concept a reality. Related Video:

Roll like bad, bad LeRoy Brown in this '74 custom Continental

In the 1973 number one hit single, "Bad, Bad LeRoy Brown," Jim Croce sings about a gentleman from the South Side of Chicago who has "a custom Continental and an Eldorado, too." The Eldorado presumably was unremarkable factory fare, but we have to believe that the custom Continental Croce was thinking of when he wrote the song was something very much like this Lincoln Continental Mark IV. For sale right now on eBay Motors, the car was customized, apparently when new, by ASC (American Sunroof Corporation). The client was not LeRoy Brown but was a Mr. Ronald M. Nassar, and his name is engraved on gold plaques on the door armrests. Mr. Nassar was an industrial designer and worked at ASC. The makeover is quite extensive. Besides the chrome wire wheels wrapped in wide whitewalls, pinstriping, and the twin leaping greyhound hood ornaments, there's an entirely customized padded vinyl top. The factory oval opera windows are replaced with vertical oval oper windows, and landau bars are applied. The rear window is also oval. Inside, the gold crushed-velour upholstery and factory fake woodgrain merely provide a starting point. The custom features include a refrigerator/food warmer, a crystal goblet holder on the dash, and a television built into the back of the center console. Note what looks like a miniature oil painting on the inside C-pillar. In the trunk, there's a fur spare-tire cover. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this creation is that it has been driven less than 100 miles. Ever. The odometer shows just 64 miles, which is supported by the lack of wear showing on any of the interior items. The floor mats look like they have never been sullied by the soles of anyone's shoes, and those are just the factory mats. A set of white fur floor mats in a plastic bag are also included. The asking price is $18,900, which is certainly not out of line for a vehicle of such inimitable 1970s style. For an even greater dose of Mr. Nassar's vision, check out his home, which went on the market two years ago. It's not on the South Side of Chicago, but the north side of Detroit, and it makes this Lincoln look understated. Featured Gallery custom '74 Lincoln Continental Mark IV View 10 Photos Lincoln Coupe Luxury Classics

Trump did talk to Bill Ford, but the Kentucky plant was never moving to Mexico

President-elect Donald J. Trump has been butting heads with Ford for a while now. A lot of it seems to stem from misunderstanding or misrepresenting facts about how the automaker currently does business and its plans for the future. After a sit-down with executive chairman Bill Ford Jr., the misunderstandings continue, but Trump has apparently convinced the company to make some changes. During his campaign, Trump claimed that Ford was going to fire US workers and move manufacturing to Mexico. That wasn't the case – yes, Ford planned to transfer Focus and C-Max production from Wayne, Michigan, to Cuautitlan, Mexico, but no, that wouldn't mean anyone losing their job. The Wayne plant will continue to operate, and likely busier than before, as it will be the home of the new Bronco and Ranger. So Ford CEO Mark Fields responded with the facts, and then chairman Bill Ford Jr. sat down with Trump over the summer. Things apparently weren't resolved to Trump's satisfaction, so he and Bill Ford spoke on the phone yesterday as he claims in this tweet: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Let's pick that apart. First off, it's not a Lincoln plant, per se – the Louisville Assembly Plant currently builds the Ford Escape and Lincoln MKC, two small crossovers that share a platform. Ford was considering moving MKC production out of Kentucky to Mexico, but it would not have resulted in many lost jobs if any – the union had already agreed to moving the MKC in 2015 negotiations, and taking production of the slow-selling Lincoln out of the plant would open up capacity for more Fords. Be that as it may, Ford has decided not to move MKC production out of the plant, either for political reasons of placation or because it didn't make the greatest deal of business sense, maybe a combination of the two. That means Trump isn't really saving any American jobs in the short term. If anything, this move could keep Ford supply-constrained and result in reduced sales, which in turn brings the company less money and affects the bottom line and all employees. But that's speculation, so we won't tweet it. There is of course the possibility that Ford will be convinced, either by sheer will or by a more attractive trade situation, to invest in increased US production, which could bear fruit later on. We are told by Ford that the two men did in fact speak yesterday.